


Cold Front

by ladyc2



Category: KAT-TUN (Band), Kanjani8 (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-22 03:11:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2492312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyc2/pseuds/ladyc2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Nishikido and Kamenashi clans have been at odds since time immemorial.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Front

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my ryo_short Bingo card. I filled in a whole row, so I think that's officially BINGO! (Unless the rules for fic bingo's are different - I've never done one before). Yay me! I still would like to write out the other squares I had idea's for, because I do quite like them, but I'm happy I managed to finish the challenge.

The barn stood to that far end of the compound. Normally it was deserted except for one or two young boys who were charged with keeping it clean. Today it was surrounded by armed guards - a temporary prison cell.

"Open that door," Ryo commanded as he neared the first guards. 

"Belay that order," a voice behind him yelled and Ryo spun to glare at Yoko who was hurrying up behind him, with Subaru and Maruyama in tow.

"Unless things have dramatically changed and no one’s told me, you're not the one who gets to issue orders around here," Ryo stated folding his arms across his chest.

Yoko ignored the glare, clutching onto Ryo's sleeve. "I just think you should wait a moment and figure out what you're going to do when that door's opened."

"What do you mean?" 

"You aren't going to," Yoko trailed off uncertainly, "I mean - you know who's in there. You can't..."

"I think what Yoko's trying to say is," Subaru helpfully tried to add.

Ryo cut him off, shrugging out of Yoko's grip in the process.

"I think what Yoko's trying to say is something he really shouldn't be thinking, let alone saying, where the wrong people might overhear it." He punctuated his words with a sharp glare that had the others falling back. 

He whirled on his heels and grabbed the first guard he came too.

"Why isn't this door open yet?" 

\--

Ryo pulled out his sword as he carefully stepped into the barn, pausing at the entryway while his eyes adjusted to the lesser light. He kept his grip on the handle steady - even though he would be unarmed, he wouldn't put it past his prisoner to attack while Ryo was at a slight disadvantage. 

Even after his eyes had adapted, it took Ryo a few minutes to pinpoint the other man amidst the trappings of the barn, eventually finding him near one of the stalls. His stance was wary but surprisingly calm considering his situation. His hairstyle had changed yet again from when Ryo had last seen him; no doubt the latest style from the capital. Ryo didn't see the point; _what was wrong with the traditional style? As if anybody around these backwater parts cared whether he had the latest fashion - hair or clothes. Who was he trying to impress anyway?_ This line of thinking was irritating and he tightened his grip on his sword, the handle digging into his palm distracting him.

Once he'd regained control over his emotions, he relaxed his grip slightly and leaned against the door, affecting an air of nonchalance.

"Kamenashi, nice of you to join us," he drawled. 

"Believe me, it wasn't my intention." Kazuya sounded angry.

"And yet here you are." 

"Here I am," Kamenashi murmured in agreement, glancing around the barn in distaste.

Ryo sighed. "Truthfully, I'm a little disappointed." That caught Kazuya's attention and Ryo didn't bother to stop the smirk from gracing his features as the man's head snapped back to his. "I'd thought you'd have escaped by now."

Kame's eyes narrowed. "Give me a few more minutes and that can be arranged."

Ryo shook his head. "Sorry, time's up."

Kazuya tensed up, his hand automatically going to his waist as if to grasp the sword that wasn't there anymore. To his credit, his voice didn't waver as he asked, 

"What are you planning to do?"

Ryo smiled. "Let you go, of course."

Kazuya snorted. "Funny." 

He didn't sound very amused though. Ryo just stepped to the side silently. Kazuya's gaze flitted warily between the now open doorway and Ryo.

"And I'm just supposed to believe you'll let me go. What game are you playing Nishikido?"

Ryo sighed before stepping back into the doorframe. Maintaining eye contact with Kazuya, he raised his voice so those outside could hear him.

"Kamenashi's free to leave. If any harm comes to him before he makes it safely home, those responsible will have to answer to me." He stepped aside again. "Clear enough for you?" he asked.

Kazuya's eyes were wide like he couldn't believe what he just heard. "I don't get it," he stated.

"That's not my problem," Ryo answered. "Now get out of here before I change my mind." 

Kazuya moved, trying to look casual, but his pace was just a little too quick to hide. As he came even, Ryo grabbed his arm roughly. Kazuya looked down at where Ryo's hand was locked onto his, before raising his eyes to meet Ryo's. Ryo tore his own eyes away after a moment focusing on the back wall of the barn as he cleared his throat.

"When you figure it out, let me know." 

He let go of Kazuya's arm. He didn't watch as Kazuya walked out, trusting Subaru, Yoko and Maru to make sure his orders were being followed. 

\----

Ryo picked up a smooth stone and skipped it across the water. Ryo had found this little clearing a few years ago and it had become a sanctuary of sorts for him and the men who followed him. The lake provided a barrier on one side and the dense forest made it impossible for anyone to sneak up on the clearing quietly. A perfect spot for secret meetings; _or romantic interludes_. Ryo banished the thought with a shake of his head - there was no point going down that road.

A crunching of twigs in the distance had them all on their feet, hands moving to their swords, before the familiar whistle let them know it was a friend. Subaru broke into the clearing a few minutes later. 

"He made it back safely," he reported, "I got as close as I dared to make sure."

Ryo nodded his thanks and went back to contemplating the lake.

"Your father is going to be furious," Yoko warned gently, "It's not every day a Kamenashi lands so neatly in his lap."

Ryo shrugged. Despite the easiness with which he did so, Ryo knew they'd been damn lucky his father was away touring the edge of his claimed territory. He shuddered to think what his father might have done if he'd been home.

"Well then, we have about 2 days to figure out a good reason for letting him go." 

Maybe he could pass it off as psychological warfare - messing with the other's mind until he broke. His father would probably buy that; he'd taken the second youngest Kamenashi at face value, judging him as weak and frail in both body and mind. He was wrong on that point, so very, very wrong but it might work to his advantage this time. Besides, their families were otherwise at a stalemate - a new strategy might just sway him. 

"Easy for you to say, you’re not the one he takes his temper out on," Murakami complained.

Ohkura sighed but the smile on his face showed he was just teasing. "The advantages of being the Lord's one and only son."

"So you think he'll figure it out?" Yasu asked. He wasn't there at the barn but he'd obviously been filled in. 

Ryo threw another stone. "Eventually. He's smarter than he gets credit for."

"And then what?" Yasu asked

Three skips before the stone sank into the water with a plop. Ryo watched the ripples spread out on the otherwise calm surface. "Then nothing. Things go on as before," he answered.

"How can you say that?" Yasu implored. 

"What else can happen?" Ryo wanted to scream, to let out his frustrations. "Our families are mortal enemies. Have been since the beginning of time. In fact it wouldn't surprise me to find out that our ancestors have figured out a way to keep fighting it out in the afterlife and we're probably immortal enemies too. Neither of our families are going to suddenly see the light - they'd be more likely to kill us both for treason."

"Then why confess at all?" That was Yoko again, always questioning and pushing for Ryo to open up more. 

"Wait, that was a confession?" Maru mumbled in the background confused. He was quickly silenced by Murakami whacking him upside the head.

"He has a right to know," was all Ryo could think of to say; maybe though a tiny part of Ryo was hoping against all hope; because Kazuya _was_ strong and smart and maybe, just maybe he could figure out a way around this situation. A solution that had been eluding Ryo since the day he'd realised he had feelings for the other.

Ohkura sucked in a breath. "It's a big risk though. If he doesn't feel the same way, it's going to put you at a disadvantage if you ever meet in battle."

Ryo threw a clump of dirt at him. "Are you questioning my skills?"

Ohkura threw up his hands. "Not at all. You know that."

Ryo did know. He trusted them with his life. At first they'd been assigned to him - as training partners and eventually a bodyguard of sorts, but that had quickly changed to loyalty towards him rather than their father and eventually friendship. That he'd confided this secret to them said as much - any other member of his father's army and he'd have been dragged to his father before he could even finish confessing. 

The problem was he didn't know how to address Ohkura's concerns. Would he, could he, kill Kazuya if it came down to that? Or would he let Kazuya kill him? He didn't think he was the type to fall sway to such sentimentality but Ryo supposed he could only cross that bridge when he came to it. Somehow, though, Ryo had a feeling that it would never come to that; Kazuya just wasn't that sort of person, even if most of their encounters over the years involved one-upmanship or indirect confrontation - even the occasional bout of open hostility. Ryo's first meeting with him proved that, _didn't it?_ For most of his years he'd repressed, or maybe even forgotten, that memory; it was almost too easy to let the hate take over and run his life like the rest of his family. He couldn't even say what had triggered those memories to resurface, causing him to reevaluate not just his subsequent encounters with the man, but with Kazuya himself. 

He could only hope Kazuya remembered it too.

*

_Seven year old Ryo ran through the fields with his new friend close behind. He was glad he'd escaped from the family compound with its stuffy rules and even stuffier grown-ups. Out here in the open he finally felt free, like he could do anything. And he'd made a friend; an actual real one. He wasn't too young to realise that most of the little boys he played with at home were mostly doing so out of obligation rather than real friendship. He was so busy enjoying the wind in his face, he didn't notice the tree root until it was too late. He landed on the ground with a thump, all the wind knocked out of his lungs._

_A small hand came down in front of his vision, and Ryo reached out to take it._

_"Are you all right?"_

_"I'm okay," he replied. Truthfully, his knees and elbows hurt awfully where he'd connected with the ground, but he didn't want to worry his new friend. One of the few things Ryo's mother had taught him, that he'd bothered to pay attention too anyway, was it was his responsibility to care for the people under and around him; Kazuya wasn't one of those people, or not yet anyway, but he was slightly younger than Ryo so he still thought that counted._

_As he was pulled up, voices rose up calling out to the younger,_

_"Kazuya-kun! Kazuya-kun! It's time to come home."_

_Kazuya's eyes widened in horror and Ryo wondered if his home life was as horrible and strict as his own. Still, maybe it could be a good thing - he'd finally have someone he could talk to about his life, someone who would understand - assuming they could both sneak out again of course. Kazuya's voice cut into his musings,_

_"You have to go. Hurry!" Kazuya pushed on his arm making Ryo stumble backwards._

_Ryo was confused and a little hurt. Why was his new friend pushing him away? Kazuya didn't look angry though, just upset and worried._

_"If they find you here it will be bad."_

_"What?"_

_"You're a Nishikido right? Haven't you been taught about us?" Now Kazuya looked confused._

_"Us?" There was only one name that Ryo had had to listen to his parents drone endlessly on about. About how much they hated them; about how they couldn't live peacefully until every Kamenashi was wiped from the land. Ryo's brain finally caught up. Kazuya was a Kamenashi? His new friend was his enemy? How could that be? He looked up into the worried face who by all rights should be trying to kill him, but who was instead now practically begging,_

_"Go! Before they find you. Please!"_

_And with that Kazuya was off, running in the opposite direction from where he'd pushed Ryo -towards the calling voices - as fast as he could. Ryo watched his back for as long as he dared, before finally turning and racing into the woods.  
_


End file.
